CLEVELAND, Miss. — Mississippi College softball put together a dominant and resilient Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader from Delta State Statesmen softball by scores of 14-2 and 2-1 at University Field.
The Choctaws improved to 27-19-1 overall and secured the series win, setting up Sunday's finale.
Mississippi College wasted no time in the opener, erupting for 14 runs on 12 hits in a run-rule victory. The Choctaws struck first in the opening inning as Blakely Gill delivered a two-RBI single to plate Morgan Lavergne and Ellie Fryar.
After Delta State answered with a run in the bottom half, MC broke the game open in the third inning. Capitalizing on a pair of defensive miscues, the Choctaws plated four runs, highlighted by RBI production from Mary Lem and Hadley Lemons. Fryar added a solo home run in the fourth to extend the lead to 7-2.
The Choctaws put the game away in the sixth, scoring seven runs in the frame. Lem delivered a three-RBI double, while Madelyn Halle added a two-RBI single to cap the explosive inning.
Fryar led the offense with three hits and two runs scored, while Gill added two hits and two RBIs. Lem drove in a team-high four runs.
In the circle, Camryn Bailey improved to 13-8, allowing two runs on six hits with five strikeouts over five innings.
Game two proved to be a much tighter contest, as Mississippi College battled to a 2-1 extra-inning victory.
Delta State took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, but the Choctaws responded in the sixth. Megan Matheis tied the game with an RBI single up the middle, scoring Fryar.
The game remained deadlocked until the eighth inning when Matheis delivered again—this time blasting a solo home run to right center to give MC a 2-1 advantage.
Reagan Rios was outstanding in the circle, tossing a complete-game eight-inning effort. Rios allowed just one run on five hits while striking out four to improve to 9-4 on the season.
Matheis led the Choctaws offensively in game two, going 2-for-3 with both RBIs, including the game-winning homer.
Mississippi College and Delta State will close out the three-game series on Sunday, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. at University Field.
